Association Between Recovery Systolic Blood Pressure After Spot Marching Exercise and Vascular Function in Middle-Aged Adults.

Purpose: Blood pressure (BP) response observed during exercise stress tests has been recognized as a predictor of the onset of hypertension and arterial stiffness. However, access to such testing is often limited to specialized clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of a simple, equipment-free exercise, self-paced spot marching exercise (SME), along with the subsequent recovery BP in evaluating vascular functions.

Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 107 participants aged 40-59 years, including those with and without hypertension. During the 6-min recovery period following SME, systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were measured every 2 min. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) were used to evaluate endothelial function and arterial stiffness. Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between recovery BP and vascular parameters.

Results: Among total participants, 4-min recovery SBP was independently associated with FMD, whereas resting BP showed no such association. CAVI was not correlated with any recovery BP. In non-hypertensive individuals, 4-min recovery SBP remained independently associated with FMD, whereas age and resting SBP were linked to CAVI.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that recovery SBP following SME reflects early endothelial dysfunction and vascular impairment. Therefore, using recovery SBP after the SME demonstrates the potential to be a tool for the early detection of vascular risk in middle-aged adults.